Anisha Madiraju (‘24) found comfort in her dance and extracurriculars from a young age. Currently, she tackles being captain of Bollywood, Color and Varsity Winter Guard, and co-president of DECA in her senior year.
“I know everyone says…you need something that takes away your stress, whether that’s exercise or a yoga class. For me, that’s genuinely doing all three of these activities. And as much as they cause me stress without them, I know I would be a less happy person,” said Madiraju.
Finding the Work-Life Balance
Through simultaneously managing school, her personal life, and activities, Anisha realized her devotion to her roles is the most stressful. However, she unlocked an important quality about herself and her morals that she will never forget.
“I always show up for the people that I care about, and the people that I work with and work for. And that kind of helps me narrow down what my priorities are,” said Madiraju.
Some of Anisha’s closest friends witnessed her growing into a resilient and empathetic leader. Still, they appreciate that she never loses sight of the value of friendship.
“She has a lot of experience from Guard and DECA, and I feel like she’s just really… good at getting the attention of people, and teaching people who are new. I was friends with her during freshman year [and] I think we really became closer through being captains and Guard,” said Bollywood Captain Anya Srinivasan (‘24).
Anisha Madiraju poses with a prop in her last fall show, Mirror Mirror.
Leading the Way
Madiraju is one of four captains on the Bollywood team. She creates time to practice and creates choreography and formations for performances. In Color and Winter Guard, Anisha is a co-captain and shares administrative roles with Maria Clara Sapriza-Aguerre (‘24).
Together, they work on planning for the fall and winter seasons and gathering the team’s contact information. Also, they relay correct information to the team and staff to maintain successful practices and shows.
“I find her time management skills admirable. She’ll tell you that she’s a procrastinator but the amount of things that this girl does is insane. I wish she did less so she would take care of herself but it’s cool to see her work and have so many things going on and stay focused” said Sapriza-Aguerre.
Madiraju asserts that taking on her leadership positions is the best decision she made in her high school career. She loves everything about what she does and her positive attitude reflects through her leadership.
“As much as they do increase my stress and increase my workload, they make me a happier person. They make me the person I am,” said Madiraju.
